World Club Cup might force SA franchises to gain momentum

Now that the inaugural tournament has been given the green light, the SA clubs must start building, otherwise they face being left behind. By Jon Cardinelli

- By Jon Cardinelli

The European Cup finals staged in Cardiff this past weekend served as a reminder of where South African rugby is falling short.

Although the Springboks have won back-to-back World Cups over the past seven years, the South African franchises have struggled to compete in Europe's leading club tournament. Zero teams qualified for the Champions Cup play-offs this season, and only one the Bulls progressed beyond the Challenge Cup round of 16.

It was great to see coach Johann van Graan and Thomas du Toit flying the flag for South Africa in Bath's resounding 37-12 win over Lyon in the Challenge Cup final, and former Springbok centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg contributing to Bordeaux-Bègles' 28-20 Champions Cup victory over Northampton Saints.

But really, is this the best we can hope for some of our best coaches and players moving abroad and winning major club titles with foreign clubs?

This question is particularly relevant now that plans to launch a World Club Cup are at an advanced stage. The inaugural tournament is set to kick off in June 2028, and the news, as SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer told Rapport, should force the SA franchises to take the European tournaments more seriously in the intervening years.

How World Club Cup could work

There's a lot that needs to be worked out, financially and logistically, before the tournament kicks off in three years. That said, news of a meeting between the chief decision-makers in Cardiff was quickly followed by a European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) press release, which highlighted an agreement between domestic competitions such as the French Top 14, United Rugby Championship and Super Rugby Pacific.

The “Rugby World Club Cup” will be staged every four years, in the first year of the existing World Cup cycle.